Ruby is the red variety of the species Corundum and is the birthstone for the month of July; it is also the anniversary stone to celebrate 40 years of happy married life. The finest shade is a pure rich red with a hint of blue, the Ruby gets it’s coloring due to the presence of minerals like iron and chromium.
Heat treatment is one of the most popular treatments on rubies especially with rough stones. This treatment enhances the gems color and clarity by melting some of the ‘silk’ that is common place in this jewel. Heat treatment often melts many of the natural inclusions in a Ruby. Despite the stones hardness, Ruby has many flaws and cracks which can be well hidden by applying oils, waxes and resins its structure means that it has a preferred direction of separation this can make the stone brittle and prone to damage.
